The Easiest Way to Clean a Large Outdoor Garbage Can

Does your outdoor trash can stink every time you open the lid? Is there slimy gunk on the inside that you don’t want to touch? Well, I’m kind of lazy when it comes to cleaning so I racked my brain and finally figured out the EASIEST way to clean a large, outdoor garbage can.

We all have chores to do around the house that are necessary to keep our home running smoothly, but are quite unpleasant – to say the least.

Perhaps you abhor cleaning toilets. Or dread washing laundry. I, however, can’t stand to, take out the trash!

In theory, trash should tied up tightly in a trash bag so all you have to do is take it to the outside to the large garbage can. But, for someone like me who was used to dumping garbage bags down a trash shoot and getting it out of my life forever, this is a task that makes me want to take a shower after each trip outside.

Okay, that may be a little dramatic, but you get the idea!

The worst part about taking trash to the large garbage can outside is the smell. How can it be so bad?! It is, after all, secured tightly inside a nice trash bag.

Well, it should be.

It happens to the best of us. A hole gets torn in the bag. The tie breaks loose. Or, someone dumps some trash in the can that isn’t even in a bag! *gasp*

Scum, grime, and sticky gook accumulates on the once sparkling clean garbage can which somehow creates a stench that is almost unbearable.

But, have no fear! There is something you can do about it! And it’s actually pretty easy!

Every once in a while, we must clean the large, outside trash can!

I know, I know. But, if taking out the trash makes you have to hold your nose for an entire minute and then cause you to scrub down like a doctor going into surgery afterward, you’ll be thrilled after you spend a few minutes cleaning the outdoor garbage can.

It will suds up heavily, but the heavy sprayer will almost always work to remove all of the grime on the sides and bottom. Only in extreme cases will you need to use a pressure washer or get a scrub brush to manually clean the garbage can.

You can get a sparkling clean, almost new garbage can while barely touching the trash can itself.

Every family is different, but it should be sufficient to clean your outdoor garbage can seasonally.

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It is good to see in your picture that you are cleaning the can on the grass and not allowing the waste water to enter the gutter. I see many residents wheel these containers to the curbside and wash them out. Many are under the misconception that if the products they are using are biodegaradable that they are not harming the environment. For biodegradeable products to degrade properly they need to be disposed of in the soil not our waterways. The waste water should be disposed of at least 200 feet from any water source.

You have taken the words right out of my mouth…my once “smell so nice” trash can is so sticky, and I don’t allow trash in it without being in a bag, I can’t fathom what it could be. First time I have had a trash can issue. I am about to use sos pads

Thank you so much for this tip. I am an Army wife and have to clean my trash can in the next few days and had no way to tackle it. I have an incredibly weak stomach and have been dreading this task. Time to break out the gloves and dish soap!

I cleaned my indoor garbage cans recently and need to do the outdoor ones this week before it gets too cold. I do this twice a year, once in spring and once in fall. Some of my friends think it’s weird but if you don’t it smells really bad.

My method of attack is very similar. I use dish soap, the sprayer and a mop from the Dollar Store. The mop is cheap and the stick bends easily enough to get it into trash bag. I throw it in the bag in the newly clean can – done!

I have cleaned out the trash can before. It was my least favorite chore on the chore list. Now we do it regularly about once a month. It isn’t terrible if you keep up with it, just like any other chore in the house.

Soak the bottom with a solution of laundry detergent and bleach for fifteen minutes on a sunny day, then use a broom to swish and scrub the sides and around the lid. Dump the waste water in a flower bed where you don’t want weeds to grow. Air dry with the lid open before using.

I really liked this post, especially because my garbage bin right now is pretty disgusting. I hadn’t even thought about just squirting dish soap into it and hosing it down. Hopefully this will make it smell less stinky. Thanks for sharing this idea with me.

I have always added a small amount of pines sol along with a small amount of dish soap in the bottom with a little water. Scrubbed it with an old broom . O scrub inside and out along with the top. Rinse with water hose , set it up side down and let it air dry. When done it is clean and has a fresh smell.

These are great tips for cleaning out garbage cans. I really like your simple instructions of doing this. My two sons have started a small business by cleaning out garbage cans in the neighborhood. This has made these some good money. We already had a high power pressure washer with has made the job easy for them.

For those who won’t clean their own cans, like Lelabelle’s neighbor perhaps?…there are bin cleaning services around the country. It’s actually a standard practice in the UK and Australia and is now picking up here in the US.

In Atlanta, try out http://SunburstBinCleaning.com (our newly added service)
or do a search for Trash Can cleaning and you should hopefully get some results in your area

Whether you do it yourself of hire a service, it’s always a win-win for the neighborhood 🙂

I cleaned my outdoor trashcan by dumping dish soap in there and then just using the pressure from my outdoor hose to swish it around and it did work. I didn’t want to touch it or smell it and felt sorry for the guys who pick up the garbage so I am so glad it worked.